Railway-signal.



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RAILWAY SIGNAL..

(Application Sled lll'. 23, 1901.)

(llo Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

BRICE WV. MCDOWELL, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY-SIG NAL.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No.693,88p3, datedFebruary 25, 1902. Application filed March 23,1901. Serial No. 52,648.(No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, BRICE W. McDowELL, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Signals, ofwhich the following is a specification.

4This invention relates to railway-signals; and it has for its object toprovide an improved mechanism of this class of the semaphore type inwhich the semaphore-arm shall carry the lighting means and shall carrymeans for automatically changing the color v of the light emittedthereby in the movement of the semaphore-arm.

My invention has for its object, further, to provide an improvedsemaphore-signal mechanism which is superior in point of ease andpositiveness of operation and general efficiency.

In the drawings, Figure'l is a perspective view illustrating my'improvedrailway-signal mechanism in operative position at one side of a railwayroad-bed, the semaphore being shown in full lines in inoperativeposition and in dotted lines in operative position. Fig. 2 is a detailtransverse sectional view of the semaphore, taken upon the line w, Fig.

' matically altering the character of the light emitted by the same inthe movement of the ,semaphore-arm.

6 designates means for operating the semaphore-arm, which in theconstruction illustrated comprises a hand-lever 7 and operativeconnections 8 between the same and the semaphore-arm` The semaphore-arm2 is eccentrically carried upon the semaphore-shaft 9, which isjournaled in the upper end portion of the semaphore-support 3.

p It will be understood that the semaphore may be operated by any of thewell-known means,either by the wheels of the locomo- I tive or car or byactuation from a signal-tower or otherwise. l

In the preferred form of construction the semaphore-arm 2 is cham'beredtransversely at each end, as at 10, to receive` the lighting means 4,which means consist of incandescent electric bulbs or lamps l1. tions ofthe chambers 10 are closedby plates 12, of glass or other suitabletranslucent or transparent material, which may be of any preferredcolor, but are` preferably white, so that the light normally emitted bythe incandescent bulbs 11 is a pure White light. The chambers 10 areprovided at each end or beneath each face of the semaphore-arm 2 with abroad lateral extension 13, opposite which is formed a narrow lateralextension 14. The means 5 for automatically altering the character ofthe light emitted by the bulbs 11 are housed normally within the broadeXtensions 13 of the chambers 10, and consistof circular glass disks orplates 15, which are free to move across the end portions of thechambers 10. The movement of the glass disks 15 into operative positionis limited by the narrow extensions of the chamber 10, in whichvextensions the edge, portions of the advancing disks are received. Thedisks 15 are preferably colored red, but may be of any color, aspredetermined by the system of signaling to which the use ofl myiinproved signal is adapted. The lateral extensions 13 and 14 of thechambers 10 are preferably formed fiush with the faces of thesemaphore-arm, and said extensions, as well as the chambers 10, may beclosed by detachable plates 16, which also may carry the fixed Whiteglasses 12. The circular disks 15 of colored glass are free to traversethe extensions 13 and 14, and thus move across and close the endportions of the chambers l0. The disks 15 are moved into and out ofoperative position by the tilting movement of the semaphorearm, whichtilting movement is effected by actuation of the operating means 6. Whenthe semaphore-arm is moved into horizontal The end por- IOC) position,the colored-glass disks 15 roll freely, because of their circularformation, out of the broad extensions 13 of the chambers 10 andeifectivcly close the end portions of the chamber 10 against the passageof all light other than that which passes through themselves. Themovement of the closed disks l5 into operative position is facilitatedby the form of the extensions 13 of the chambers 10, which extensionsare provided with curved walls 17. The colored-glass disks 15 arepreferably of slightly greater diameter than the chambers 10 to insureeffective closure of the chambers 10 against the passage of light aroundsaifl disks 15, and the end portions of the chambers 10, between thelateral extensions 13 and 14, are preferablyof enlarged diameter, as at1S, to accommodate the disks 15. The extensions 13 and 14, of thechambers 10 are of the same diameter as the enlarged end portions 1S ofsaid chambers.

The semaphore-arm 2 may be chambered at the top, as at 19, to receivethe line-Wires 2() for the electric bulbs ll, and said chamber I9 may beprovided with a detachable cover or closure 21, whereby access to theline-wires may be facilitated. The electric bulbs 11 may be connected inseries or in multiple, as preferred.

The semaphore-support 3 preferably consists of a vertical casing 22, inthe upper end portion Yof which the semaphore-shaft 9 is journaled, andthe operative connections 8 may consist of a vertical shaft 23, which isjournaled in the casing 22, and a horizontal shaft 24, which isjournaled inthe lower end portion of the casing 22 and projectsexteriorly of the same. The hand-lever 7 is fixed to the horizontalshaft 2st. The semaphoreshaft 9 is operatively connected with the ver.

tical shaft 23 by means of beveled gears 25, and the vertical shaft 23is operatively connected with the horizontal shaft 24 by means ofbeveled gears 26. The semaphore-shaft 9 is provided within the casing 22with a stop de- Vice 27, which limits the pivotal movement of thesemaphore-arm 2,Whereby the semaphorearm may be actuated by theoperating means 6 into either exactly vertical or exactly horizontalposition. In the preferred form of construction the stop device 27consists of adisk 28, which is secured to the semaphore-shaft 9 and iscut away through a predetermined p0rtion` of its periphery, as at 29, toform shoulders ,30, which coact with stops 31, arranged Within thecasing 22. The line-Wires 20 may enter the casing 22 at the bottom ofthe same, as at 3l, and extend vertically through the same to the topportion, Where they may exit through a suitable opening, as at 33, at apoint adjacent the chamber 19, through which they pass to the electricbulbs 11.

The line-Wires 20 maybe supplied with current by a suitable battery 34or other source of electrical energy, and the elecrical circuit throughthe line-Wires and the electric bulbs may bo controlled by suitableswitches 35.

The operation and advantages of my improved railWay-signal Will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertans.The signal is adapted for use in connection with railway switches,railway block systems, and for a Variety of similar purposes. Thesemaphore-arm 2 normally occupies a vertical position, or a position inwhich it extends substantially in parallelism with the semaphore support3. With the semaphore-arm in this position and a closed circuit havingbeen established through the line-wires 20, a White light will bedisplayed by the semaphore-arm and convey to the engineer or trainmen onan approaching train the required intelligence as to the condition ofthe road ahead. Vith the semaphore-arm in this position the coloreddisks 15 occupy positions Within the broad extensions 13` of thechambers 10, which extensions 13 are so arranged with respect to the endportions of the chambers 10 that the disks 15 lie beneath said endportions, with the semaphore in vertical position. When thesemaphore-arm is turned by the operating means 6 into horizontalposition, the colored-glass disks 15 roll out of the broad extensions 13of the chambers 10 into position to close the enlarged end portions 18of the chambers 10 and are maintained in said position by entering thenarrow extensions 14 of the chambers 10. The light emitted by the bulbs11 is now transformed from White to red in color and conveys the'required intelligence to the engineer or trainmen of the approachingtrain.

The movement of the semaphore-arm is effected by manipulation of thehand-lever 7; but it is understood that the operating means 6 may bevaried to meet the conditions of use or prefer-ment, according to thenature cf the signaling system in which my improved signal is employed.The casing 22, which constitutes the semaphore-support 3, effectuallyhouses the major portion of the operating means for the semaphore-arm,as Well as the stop device 27 and the line-Wires 20.

The semaphore-arm 2 is simple in construction, and access may at alltimes be had to the disks 15 and incandescent bulbs 1l by detaching theclosure-plate 16.

The entire device is simple in construction, positive and unfailing inoperation, and it is adapted to all forms of railway and alliedsignaling.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the details ofconstruction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated, as itis manifest that variations and modifications may be made in thefeatures of con-` IOO IIO

IZO

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Pat- 1. An improved signal of the 'class de scribed, comprisinga pivoted semaphore, lighting means carried by the same, and atranslucent disk slidably carried by the sema- 1 phore and arranged tobe moved in the movement of the semaphore into the path of light emittedby the lighting means.

2. An improved signal of the class described, comprising a pivotedsemaphore, lighting means carried by said semaphore at each end of thesame, and two translucent disks slidably carriedby the semaphore andarranged to be moved respectively in the movement ofthe semaphore intothe paths of light emitted by the lighting means at each end of saidsemaphore.

43. An improved signal of the class described, comprising a pivotedsemaphore,-V lighting means carried by the same,`and two translucentdisks carried by the semaphore light emitted bythe saidv lighting meanstoV set the signal.

In testimony whereof-I have signed my name in the presence-0f twosubscribing Witnesses. Y

',BRICE W. McDoWELL.

Vitnesses:

J. R.`L1TTELL, M. M. DURKIN.

